It is, of course, generally known to display warning signals on a vehicle. These warning signals provide illumination for the driver to operate the vehicle safely in obscure light or night environments and to display information about the vehicle's presence, position, size, deceleration, direction of travel, and driver's intentions to change direction.
Generally, a vehicle's taillights are used most often to inform drivers of deceleration and to avoid rear-end collisions. Usually, a vehicle is equipped with two taillights: one on each side of the rear-end. During daytime use, a vehicle's taillights illuminate only upon application of the vehicle's brake system or turn signals when the turn signals share the same housing as the brake lights. However, in obscure light or night environments, the taillights are generally used to display the vehicle's location to other drivers traveling in the same direction.
Generally, a vehicle's taillights and parking lights are illuminated simultaneously in a system called the running lights. A vehicle's running lights are generally applied in obscure light or night environments to identify the vehicle's location. While the running lights are activated, the taillights are generally illuminated moderately and illuminate brightly when the vehicle's brakes are applied. This distinguishes between identifying the vehicle's location and identifying the vehicle's deceleration.
A vehicle's turn signals are frequently used to indicate an intention to change direction. Commonly, a vehicle has two turn signals on the rear of the vehicle; one on the left and one on the right. When the turn signal on the left of the vehicle illuminates, the driver typically intends to make a left turn. Similarly, when the turn signal on the right of the vehicle illuminates, the drive intends to make a right turn.
Often, a vehicle's turn signals share the same lamp housing as the vehicle's taillights. Generally, when the running lights are off and the brakes are not engaged, the turn signal associated with the intended direction change will illuminate brightly, turn off, and illuminate brightly again in a blinking pattern. Frequently, the brakes or running lights are engaged and the turn signal associated with the intended direction change will illuminate brightly, illuminate moderately, and illuminate brightly again in a blinking pattern.
Frequently, a vehicle has separate lamp housings for the taillights and the turn signals. The taillights can function independently of the turn signals so as to avoid confusion between identifying deceleration, location, and direction change.
Generally, each lamp housing holds a single bulb attached to the vehicle through a single socket. The single bulb is commonly reflected and collimated within each housing to fill the entire housing with light and to make the light viewable to other drivers. This bulb is regularly an incandescent light bulb that is inefficient, produces unwanted heat, and has an insignificant lifetime.
Commonly, the light sockets for vehicle lighting are generally universal. Usually, the lights that fit into these sockets are non-directional and propagate light in every direction. Therefore, the angle of the socket does not have to be universal. Thus, the sockets may provide horizontal (0 degrees relative to the x-axis), vertical (90 degrees relative to the x-axis), or angled (45 degrees relative to the x-axis) mounts. Directional lighting may be used to manipulate how the light propagates, which changes how the light is perceived outside of the vehicle's lamp housing. However, the directional lighting needs to be compensated for, depending on what angle the light socket mount is.
It is further known to sequence light or lamps into a pattern by using two or more separate lamps in individual housings. Thus, at least two lamps in separate housings are typically required to make the most basic sequence pattern; however, three or more may be required to produce a more complicated pattern. A common sequencing pattern may occur when each light or lamp, in their own housings, in a series is illuminated sequentially while keeping each light illuminated until all the lights have been lit. Then each light or lamp may be simultaneously turned off, and the process may be repeated. In another common sequence, once all the lights have been lit, each light or lamp in the series can be turned off sequentially until all of the lights or lamps are off and then each light or lamp in the series may be sequentially lit again.
Commonly, sequential lighting has been used on the rear end of vehicles for both aesthetics and functionality. Sequencing can be used to show a direction, and is generally used as a turn signal. Sequencing is generally used with taillights that have multiple lights or chambers. Sequencing, however, typically requires a plurality of lamps, each in its own housing, to create the sequencing pattern.
Usually, aftermarket taillights can be purchased with a plurality of bulbs, each in its own housing, to create sequencing. These aftermarket taillights are typically vehicle specific, hard to install, may cause damage to one's vehicle, are typically not universal, and usually only work if the vehicle's taillight and turn signal share the same housing.
A need, therefore, exists for an apparatus that can function as a vehicle's taillights, turn signals, running lights, hazard lights, or other similar lighting, and apply a sequential lighting effect to the same.
Additionally, a need exists for an apparatus that provides sequential lighting, utilizing high efficient light sources such as LEDs.
Moreover, a need exist for an apparatus for sequential illumination that may be housed in a single lamp housing.
Also, a need exists for an apparatus that can emit sequencing lighting across a plurality of lamp housings.
Finally, a need exist for an apparatus for providing sequential lighting that operates safely and under the regulations of automotive lighting.